Your Wedding Day With Divorced Parents

It is now Your wedding day and you have divorced parents - how embarrassing or is it? What about the wedding reception seating?

You have just got engaged and the main thing that you are worried about is the fact that you are children of divorced parents and what to do? Your Dad is an embarrassment and only thinks of himself. Your Mum is your best friend and in a new relationship, that your father does not know about. Wow what a situation and your forth coming wedding is suppose to be the best day of your life!

How can it be? Easy - here are some hints and tips to help you get on with preparing for your wedding day and make it the best day of your life. Both of you are paying for the day and you do not wish this day ruined. So what is your biggest issue - the paying for the day or the fact that your Dad is an embarrassment?

Let us say that it is your Dad is an embarrassment. Ok - how do we deal with that.

Scenario 1:- Brides' or Groom's Mum in new relationship while Dad is on his own. Groom's parents both together.

1. Remember this is a wedding day for both of you the bride and the groom - so whether it is the Brides's or groom's father that is the embarrassment then make sure that he is made aware of this.

2. Get the introductions over with before the wedding day.

3. Introducing your Dad to the groom's / brides' family is not an issue so let that be the first introduction.

4. Introducing your Dad to your Mum's new man and family is going to be an issue - but still make sure that this happens sooner rather than later.

5. Your Mum's relationship and how your Dad deals with this is not your issue, so let your very capable Mum handle the introductions.

6. Your Mum should arrange to meet your Dad with her partner at the earliest convenience for both of them.

7. This subject of introductions to be dealt with by your Mum.

8. Get your Mum to agree for all three of them to meet socially to enable your Mum's partner and your Dad to meet each other, they do not have to like one another, but at least this will get the first meeting out of the way.

9. This is your Mum's issue not yours - so put this notion of your Dad misbehaving at your wedding day out of your mind.

10. Your (bride or groom) friends and relatives know your Dad of old and know what he is capable of so there are lots of people available to protect you from any unpleasantness on the day.

11. Your Uncles will make great buffers for you - so you have nothing to worry about - don't have uncles then your male friends.

12. All you need to do in that case is enjoy the preparations for the day, which will lead to both of you (the bride and the groom) having the time of your life on your happy wedding day.

Consider the following seating arrangements in this scenario:

Perhaps yourself and your groom would like a nice romantic table for just the two of you at the top of your reception venue with everyone else sharing round tables throughout the banquet hall. OR Perhaps round tables for all and let the guests and yourself sit at one of the round tables and to hell with tradition of having both sets of parents at the top table. Put the groom's parents with the grooms relatives and family.

Place the brides Mum with her partner and his immediate family (if they have any). Place the brides Dad with your uncles and family relatives on his side at their own table. Place groups of friends together at other tables.

In this scenario you may wish to forget about mixing the people on the tables - but remember do whatever you believe will work and again enjoy your Wedding day.

Another plan is that you do not have any named seating and let everyone find their own seating. This could work well as the people who are assigned to look after your Dad on the day will put him sitting in the best place for all concerned and this will have nothing to do with you.

You have just got engaged and your biggest concern is how to plan the wedding keeping the situation of your divorced parents in mind. This time it is the Dad that is in a new relationship. Easy - your Mum is your best friend and she only wants what is best for you.

Scenario 2 - Bride or Groom's Dad in a relationship and Mum on her own, while Mum on other side also on her own as she is widowed.

1. Most times brides are closer to their Mum's than their Dad's so no harm for you both to go with your Mum when meeting your Dad and his new relationship. Even if you are closer to your Dad than your Mum this suggestion will still work.

2. This can be a more amicable situation as both being involved does not leave one parent at a lose end on their own.

3. Next meeting should be for both sides to meet up including the Dad and his new relationship.

4. Seating arrangements will be fine here as the both Mum's can sit at the top table (if there is one) while so too can the Dad while his partner can sit with friends of the family.

Scenario 3. Both parents divorced yet both in new relationships.

This is the least confusing scenario and one that can be managed very easily.

1. Once again you need all couples to meet before hand and this is something that you can arrange and be present at.

2. Where it is the Brides parents that are divorced, while the groom's parents are still happily together, I have witnessed it where both parents walked the bride down the aisle one on either side and this looked ok.

3. Also at that same wedding as well as the parents of the groom being at the top table so too were each of the divorced parents and they both sat on either side of the happy couple as a couple. Yes this too was good. As this showed everyone was involved in the wedding.

4. Also when it came to the wedding invitations as both parents were paying for the wedding the wedding invitations were sent out from both parents inviting everyone to enjoy this moment with them.

When it comes to your Wedding Day you can make it yours and no one can dictate what you must and must not do. The main thing is that you both set up your wedding day to be the best day of your life. Trying to consider everyone on the day will end up with no one being pleased. So remember do your own thing and most of all enjoy what it is you do.

After all this is your 'I do' day.